Microsoft Announces Campaign APIs to Empower App Advertising

Microsoft recently introduced campaign APIs, under the Windows Store Promotions API, that allow app owners to promote apps and manage ad campaigns within the Windows Store. From ad creation to promoting apps through targeting, the APIs enable app promotion in an increasingly competitive app market. The APIs are open to media houses and developers/organizations that already have a DevCenter account.

"These APIs are a powerful way of accessing your ad campaigns - they allow for bulk operations and features such as sharing creatives and/or targeting templates across campaigns," Microsoft Program Manager, Anusha Subramanian, commented in a blog announcement. "For media agencies handling large volumes of advertising, the APIs allow for flexibility while creating campaigns as well as viewing reporting data."

The APIs do not replace the DevCenter dashboard; rather, the APIs complement the dashboard. Campaigns are created through a single account, and can be initiated through either the APIs or the dashboard. To get started with the APIs, users must have an Azure AD directory with Global administrator permission for the directory. Next, associate the Azure AD application with your DevCenter account, retrieve the tenant ID, client ID and generate a key.

The Windows Store Promotions API includes four objects: campaigns, delivery lines, targeting profiles, and creatives. Campaigns sit atop the object model hierarchy and identify the type of campaign created (i.e. paid, house, or community), campaign objective, delivery lines, etc. Delivery lines are used to buy inventory and deliver ads. Each delivery line allows a developer to set targeting, bid price, and a budget. Each delivery line includes a targeting profile that specifies users, geographies, and inventory types. Each delivery line also includes one or more creatives that show the ads that are visible to customers as part of the campaign. To learn more, visit the Windows Store Promotions API site.

Calling the API is simple via RESTful methods. To assist those interested, Microsoft has provide Code examples from a C# console app. For media agencies looking to get started, contact storepromotionsapi@microsoft.com. App developers and others currently using DevCenter need to follow a set of prerequisite steps.

About the author:Eric Carter
Eric the founder of Dartsand and Corporate Counsel for a specialty technology distributor. He is a frequent contributor to technology media outlets and also serves as primary legal counsel for multiple startups in the Real Estate, Virtual Assistant, and Software Development Industries. Follow me on Google+